Roy Jones Jr assessed Rico Verhoeven’s chances of winning a major title, imagining a scenario where he faces Anthony Joshua in some version of the heavyweight championship.

The former long-reigning kickboxing champion was scheduled to collide with “AJ” earlier this year, but instead secured a world title shot against Oleksandr Usyk.

It was only his second professional boxing fight, and yet Verhoeven put on an incredible performance last month, somehow managing to take Usyk into the 11th round.

Then there was a controversial result when Verhoeven was stopped on his feet after a hefty knockdown and referee Mark Lyson waved him off after the signal.

At this point The Dutchman gained a slight advantage on one of the judges’ scorecardsmocking the betting odds before the fight while gaining 8th place in the WBC rankings.

Verhoeven may therefore soon find himself fighting for the heavyweight title again, but will he be as successful as he was against Usyk?

I’m talking to Betting showroomHall of Famer Jones suggested that a hard-hitting opponent like Joshua would likely pose more problems than Usyk.

“Can Rico win the world title? You have to remember that style makes fight. For me, Usyk has never been the most explosive boxer, but he is a brilliant boxer.

“Tyson Fury has never been the most explosive boxer, but he’s also a brilliant boxer. But guys like [Daniel] Dubois, Joshua, Moses [Itauma] – these guys can hit. So they’ll find out what [Verhoeven] can take.

“I’m not going to just guarantee that he can win the title because different styles make for different fights.”

Another point to consider is that while Verhoeven represented uncharted territory for Usyk, opponents can now utilize 11 rounds of footage to analyze his style.

Joshua may also get additional information from Usyk, considering he currently shares a gym with the 39-year-old Ukrainian.

The opening round was largely a feel-good round, with Collazo maintaining the advantage. Just 15 seconds into the second round, Collazo landed a left wing to the body that sent Valdez down the court for an eight count by referee Thomas Taylor.

Moments later, another body shot from Collazo knocked Valdez down again. After the second knockdown, Valdez’s corner signaled that they had seen enough and the fight was stopped at 2:35 of the second round.

Gallardo wins the foul-filled co-main event

In the co-main event, Yair Gallardo (12-0, 9 KO) defeated Buneet Bisla (14-2, 7 KO) in 10 rounds to win the vacant WBO NABO delicate heavyweight title.

Bisla was successful on counters in the first rounds while Gallardo pushed forward behind the high guard. The fight was frequently interrupted by clinching, with Bisla repeatedly tying up Gallardo as exchanges developed.

Gallardo began to have more success in the middle rounds. In the seventh, he landed a few punches to the body and then rocked Bisla with a left hook to the chin, after which Bisla caught himself and went to the canvas.

The hold continued throughout the final rounds, with referee Gerard White allowing the action to continue without issuing warnings. Gallardo received the decision on scores of 98-91, 97-92 and 96-93.

Abdullaev stops Velazquez in the fifth minute

Olympian Ruslan Abdullaev (5-0, 3 KO) knocked out Orestes Velazquez (8-2, 7 KO) in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round fight.

Abdullaev scored a knockdown with a right hand to the side of the head in the first round. He controlled the next two rounds, forcing Velazquez on the defensive and steadily increasing his lead.

In the fifth round, Abdullaev landed a left wing kick that sent Velazquez to the ground. Referee David Solivan waved his hand and dismissed the fight at 1:30 of the round.

Edwards continues his cup run

2024 American Olympian Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards (7-0, 6 KO) defeated Garreth Payton (7-3, 4 KO) at 1:06 of the second round.

Edwards dominated the opening round while Payton remained largely defensive. Early in the second, Edwards landed a left hook to the side of the head, causing Payton to fall and end the fight.

Griffiths stops Cristo

Cayden Griffiths (9-0, 8 KO) defeated Edgar Ayala Crisosto (12-7, 8 KO) in the third round.

Griffiths controlled the first two rounds with body punches, while Crisosto spent most of the fight on the defensive. In the third round, a left to the body sent Crisosto to a knee for an eight count.

Griffiths continued the action until a corner kick from Crisosto stopped the fight at 2:49 of the round.

Garcia wins in one round

Daniel “Junebug” Garcia (14-0, 11 KO) knocked out Christopher Rodriguez (13-3-1, 11 KO) in the first round of an eight-round fight.

Garcia dropped Rodriguez early and quickly closed out the event, extending his undefeated record with another knockout victory.